Archive of Our Own

Aizawa closed his laptop and stood up. He needed coffee.

Hawks had been missing for two weeks already.

Well, missing… not exactly.

They knew the room where he was. They knew what he was going through.

There were videos. Fucking videos of Hawks were being posted every day, and yet no one was able to find him.

Aizawa had analyzed them at length. Every hero was searching. But nothing. His kidnappers were too well-prepared. They were ghosts.

The villains were playing with them.

Every day, at the same time, a video of Hawks was posted.

At first, the young hero had been provocative and confident, but that was no longer the case. Hawks was starting to get tired. It showed, even though he was trying not to let it. His bruises were increasing, the dark circles under his eyes were getting worse, and his concentration was declining.

He had to be rescued as quickly as possible. Every day was worse than the one before.

But the heroes weren't making any progress with their investigation.

Not even Aizawa. And yet, he was used to this kind of situation as an underground hero. But this time, he had nothing. He had tried everything: infiltration, espionage, hacking… none of his actions had led to the slightest success.

He had nothing, and in the meantime, Hawks was being tortured.

The villains had put them in an impossible position. They didn't want anything in exchange for Hawks's life. They were doing this to demonstrate their power, or rather, to demonstrate the heroes' weakness.

Look, we captured Japan's number two hero, and his colleagues aren't even capable of saving him. Oh, and look at how breakable your number two hero is.

They were humiliating the heroes and frightening the public.

The police had tried to prevent new videos from being posted, but the villains had a more competent computer expert.

The situation wasn't changing, except for Hawks's deteriorating condition.

Aizawa finished his coffee too quickly and considered getting a second one. He was exhausted. Between his classes at U.A. and this, he had no time to rest. But he had no intention of giving up on Hawks.

He was only a few years older than his students. He was practically still a kid. He shouldn't have to go through this.

Aizawa wasn't the only one investigating. The police, the other top ten heroes… a lot of people were working on it. The public was also expressing growing concern for their favorite hero.

Aizawa glanced at his watch. Almost midnight. A new video would be posted soon.

He swallowed his second coffee and turned his computer back on. He wouldn't lose hope. This video would be the one. He would find something.

Midnight passed.

And nothing.

Half past midnight passed.

And still nothing.

Aizawa wasn't the only one confused. People were growing worried on social media. Watching the videos was horrible, but it was still the only way to make sure Hawks was still alive.

If there wasn't one, then did that mean…?

Aizawa wasn't at ease. He had a bad feeling.

He played an old video again and went over it in detail once more, trying to focus on something else.

Finally, at seven in the morning, social media erupted again.

But there was no new video.

No. This time, it was a live stream.

Aizawa started it warily, forcing his tired eyes after a sleepless night to focus on the screen.

It was the same setting as in the videos. Hawks was right in the center of the frame, strapped to a chair. His head hung limply against his chest. His wings were drooping. He wasn't moving, but Aizawa caught the faint movement of his breathing.

He had new bruises and new cuts. Maybe it was the lighting, but his skin looked paler. His hero costume was so dirty and torn that he was barely recognizable. He had lost a lot of weight; it hung loosely on him.

Aizawa didn't like seeing him unconscious, even if the young hero desperately needed sleep.

Finally, one of the kidnappers appeared in the frame. Masked, his voice altered… he was unrecognizable, but this was new. And new things were never perfect.

“Well, well, I see our dear Hawks is still popular despite all this time!” he exclaimed cheerfully. “Although… I think his popularity rating is actually negative among the heroes, since no one seems willing to come and save him!”

Aizawa ignored the provocation, too focused on paying attention to the slightest clue the man might reveal.

The latter moved closer to Hawks and lifted his head, revealing the large bruise on his cheek.

“You see, he's starting to annoy us,” the villain continued, letting the hero's head drop again. “We're getting tired of him.”

The man stopped and crossed his arms before correcting himself:

“No. We're getting tired of all heroes. All these fake heroes. And guess what? Hawks is one of them!”

The masked man moved closer to the camera and leaned forward.

“Did you know that your dear hero has killed people? He killed my little sister because apparently she was a danger to society and had to be erased.”

Aizawa closed his eyes. The villain was only stating a fact; he had no proof, but Aizawa believed him. He knew Hawks had worked primarily for the Commission. And the Commission was well known for its secrets.

But none of that mattered. Yes, those methods weren't normal and absolutely needed to be reviewed. Except that for the moment, the priority was Hawks, whether he had been used as a hitman or not.

“Did you know he was the son of a criminal?” the kidnapper continued. “Takami Keigo, that's his real name. That rings a bell, doesn't it? Hawks is the son of the thief Takami. Now that you know this, does it surprise you to learn that his son is a murderer? Not me. As they say, like father, like son. Hawks is no better than the vermin he enjoys arresting and killing. ”

Aizawa hoped that the Commission, or whoever was in charge, wouldn't cut the live stream. Sure, having his private life exposed to the general public wasn't the best thing for Hawks, but if it was the only way to find him, then it was worth it. Aizawa was certain the villain would eventually make a mistake.

“Still don't believe me? Don't worry, I'll show you the proof live. How about we wake up our dear friend?”

The villain went back over to Hawks and slapped him hard before grabbing his hair and lifting his head.

Aizawa absolutely hated the way the hero's exhausted eyes blinked.

He only looked around for a few seconds before letting his eyelids fall shut again.

The villain slapped him again and whispered something into his ear that only Hawks could hear.

“N-no… n-not again…”

Hawks's voice was unrecognizable. It was hoarse and cracked, nothing like his warm voice and confident tone. It hurt to see the most confident hero reduced to this.

That was exactly what the villains were trying to achieve. Hawks was the most popular hero, with one of the biggest secrets.

“Don't fall asleep,” the villain ordered before stepping out of frame.

Hawks's eyes wandered across the floor, somehow managing to obey, his expression completely blank.

The villain quickly returned with a simple glass of water.

“You want this, don't you?” he asked, waving it under his nose as if he were talking to a dog.

Hawks's eyes widened. He suddenly looked more focused and stared at the glass as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

Damn, how long had it been since he'd last had anything to drink?

“I'll give it to you on one condition: you do a little job for me. Nothing too complicated, just one or two targets to eliminate.”

Aizawa's heart clenched. Hawks was looking at the water with such desperation that he was sure the villain could have asked him for anything and he would have agreed.

It wasn't his fault. His survival instincts were taking control of his decisions. Hawks had been tortured. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything for who knew how long, so Aizawa wasn't surprised to see him begging for the glass.

“Water…” the young hero croaked. “Water!”

“So you agree to work for me?” the villain asked with a smile.

“Y-yes…!” Hawks answered, his eyes never leaving the vital liquid.

The villain turned toward the camera and snickered.

“You see how he didn't even hesitate? Hawks isn't a hero. He's a mercenary, a hitman. He's used to being paid for missions.”

“…water!” Hawks continued to beg.

Aizawa looked away. He didn't want to watch this pathetic scene. No one should ever see Hawks like this, begging for something so mundane.

But he had to focus on the slightest clue the villain might let slip, so Aizawa reluctantly turned his attention back to the screen.

People were reacting in the live chat. They were angry, but not at Hawks.

The villain's smile grew.

“Of course. We have a deal, after all. We both have to hold up our end of the bargain.”

The villain brought the glass to Hawks's lips, ready to tip it all at once and make him choke, when he suddenly stopped.

Hawks had just spat into it.

A defiant smile slowly spread across his lips. He no longer looked quite so exhausted.

“You can keep it. You really think I'd go around killing people for a glass of water?”

His voice still sounded terrible, but a wave of relief washed over Aizawa when he realized that the villains hadn't managed to break Hawks yet.

In the live chat, the reactions exploded, encouraging Hawks and congratulating him, proud of him.

Falconer: Don't lose hope, Hawks! We'll come save you!

Allforhawks: Yesssss Hawks is back!

The villain's smile disappeared.

“You still think you're in a position to play hero, Hawks?! Haven't you realized how screwed you are?”

The villain violently smashed the glass against Hawks's head, shattering it. Pieces of glass fell onto his legs as a cut appeared across his forehead, and yet a laugh escaped Hawks's throat.

“Oh, come on! A little torture isn't going to break me! I'm pretty tough, you know.”

Hawks winked at him.

Hawksvenger: Go on, make him pay for what he did to you!

Eraserhead'swife: Wow, I was so scared for a second!

Aizawa's eyes widened slightly in surprise. What the hell was Hawks playing at? The people in the chat didn't seem to understand. They were being fooled by his usual confident demeanor returning and his provocative attitude, but Aizawa wasn't fooled.

Hawks was in terrible condition, and he was having fun provoking his torturer. Was he suicidal or something? He could barely stay conscious, and he was still playing the smartass. Damn young heroes who thought they had nine lives…

“You want to bet?” the villain challenged, his voice dripping with madness. “We've been pretty nice so far. But those pretty feathers of yours look rather fragile. You wouldn't want us to-”

The villain suddenly cut himself off and straightened, looking off-camera.

“What the…?”

He stepped out of frame, leaving Hawks still smiling.

Several agonizing seconds passed.

Aizawa and the people in the chat were tense. Only Hawks didn't seem worried.

Finally, the villain returned, his expression grim.

“I won't let him get away with this,” he growled.

He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Hawks's forehead. Hawks didn't even flinch.

“What happened?” the hero asked mockingly. “Problem with your plans?”

“Shut the fuck up. I won't let him save you.”

Hawks snickered.

“Oh, is my prince charming finally here? Took him long enough…”

The villain was nervous.

Aizawa didn't know which hero had managed to track Hawks down, but they had better hurry.

The entire world held its breath. The villain's finger was on the trigger. Only Hawks seemed calm. He still had that stupid smile on his face.

Aizawa was so tense that he jumped when his phone rang. He answered without taking his eyes off the screen for even a second.

“Shouta, we know where he is!” Yamada exclaimed.

“Yeah, I can see that. I'm watching the live.”

“No. No, it's not us.”

Aizawa was about to ask for more details when the screen suddenly lit up with dark blue light.

The villain screamed in pain as flames engulfed his body. He collapsed to the floor, dropping his gun in the process.

“We saw blue flames rising from a building…” Yamada explained.

Aizawa didn't hear the rest because he had dropped his phone, but he didn't need any more information.

Hawks looked just as shocked as he was, almost intimidated.

The chat fell silent.

The entire world's eyes were fixed on the person who had just stepped into the camera's frame.

His threatening aura, his murderous blue eyes, his skin smoking with anger… There could only be one person.

Of all the people in Japan, it was the right-hand man of the leader of the country's largest criminal organization who had come to save the number two hero.

Only Hawks managed to find his voice, whispering his name in utter shock:

“Dabi?!”

Hawks hadn't been able to do anything against the villains. They had caught him completely by surprise. One of them had a quirk that had blocked the telekinetic control of his feathers. He had been startled and immediately gone on alert. Not being able to feel his feathers was horrible. It was as if he had lost several limbs.

He had still tried to fight, but he had quickly been knocked unconscious. He was a little ashamed of being caught by such weak villains when he was the number two hero, but well, it came with the job. He knew how to deal with it. He had been trained for this.

Pain didn't scare him. It was unpleasant, but it was only temporary.

Temporary over the course of a lifetime, because right now, Hawks could definitely feel the pain. The villains hadn't held back. They had beaten him badly, and over the past few days, they had taken to depriving him of water, food, and sleep.

Not exactly fun. He'd had better days.

Hawks was mostly counting on his colleagues to get him out of there. He had tried to escape on his own, but he'd failed, and now he was too exhausted to come up with a complex plan.

He was a little worried that no one had shown up as the days went by. But not that worried. Besides, he wasn't afraid for his life. Of course, dying would be inconvenient, but he'd already managed to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a hero, so it wouldn't be that bad.

When Hawks realized that someone had broken into the villains' hideout, his first thoughts were Endeavor, Best Jeanist, or even just the police.

Never, ever would he have imagined that Dabi would be the one to come and save him.

“What are you doing here?”

He was genuinely shocked. Yes, Hawks had infiltrated the League and was pretending to be one of its members. Had he really managed to be that convincing? Enough for one of their best members to come and save him?

If that was the case, he could congratulate himself on his acting skills.

“I smelled rotten chicken and wanted to see what it was.”

Dabi barely spared him a glance. He turned toward the camera and sent his flames at it, melting it down.

Now that no one could risk figuring out that Hawks was in the League, he allowed himself to insist:

“Did you miss me that much?”

Dabi answered his smile with an even more mocking one.

“To be honest, it's been a long time since I've had such a peaceful few weeks. My ears finally had a chance to recover from the trauma your incessant chatter inflicted on them.”

Dabi stepped closer and burned through the restraints holding Hawks, taking care not to hurt him.

“They really did a number on you…” the villain remarked calmly.

Hawks let out a sigh of relief as he felt the small feathers along his back that hadn't been torn out again, the quirk-suppressing cuffs no longer having any effect. However, he didn't try to move them. He already knew that would be a bad idea.

“Why did you come?” he repeated, this time more seriously.

Dabi ignored him.

“Come on, get up. I'm not carrying you.”

Hawks didn't move.

“Were you worried?” he asked with a stupid smile.

Dabi didn't answer and simply stared at him, waiting for him to stand.

A feeling of confusion clouded Hawks's mind. Dabi wasn't actually worried, was he? Why would he be? They weren't friends. Yes, they teased each other. Yes, Dabi was the person in the League Hawks talked to the most. Yes, they may have fucked a few times.

But all of that… it was nothing.

They used each other. They didn't love each other. Hawks was everything Dabi hated, and Dabi was everything Hawks hated.

They had sex but it meant nothing. It wasn't as if they kissed or cuddled. No, it was just sex to satisfy their urges. Simply a way for both of them to relieve some tension. Each of them came looking for their own satisfaction without worrying about the other. They would have their little meeting, fucked a few minutes, and then each would go back to their own life. Sometimes it was even hateful. Dabi was too rough, and yet Hawks always came back.

That toxic dynamic worked for them. They both knew that when everything eventually came crashing down, they would probably end up killing each other.

They were nothing.

But then why, out of everyone, was Dabi the one who had come to save him?

“As if I were here by choice…” the villain muttered. “The boss just wanted his spy pigeon back.”

Yes. That was all it was. A simple strategic interest. It made sense.

“Come on, get up,” Dabi insisted. “I don't have all day.”

Hawks grimaced.

“I don't think you actually want that.”

Dabi shot him a dark look.

“I'm not carrying you. Stop being so dramatic. You're a grown man. You can walk.”

“I've been sitting on this fucking chair for fourteen days!” Hawks protested with a groan. “Is your charred heart really that heartless?”

Dabi stared at him coldly for a few seconds before turning away and walking off.

“What? Hey, no, don't leave me here!” Hawks called after him. “See the rescue through to the end! You can't do things halfway!”

“I'm a villain, not a babysitter,” Dabi grumbled, his back turned, his hands in his pockets.

That bastard was actually leaving. Hawks shouldn't have felt so nervous, but he didn't want to be alone. Not here.

“Even villains are nicer,” Hawks teased, hiding his anxiety.

He had no choice. If he didn't want to be left alone, he was going to have to follow Dabi.

Hawks didn't hesitate any longer. He pushed against the armrests of the chair with his arms. He stood up, tried to steady himself on his trembling legs, and immediately collapsed pathetically onto the floor. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, groaning in pain. When he opened them again, he saw Dabi's boots a few inches from his face.

“Cut the act. Get up.”

“Fuck you…” Hawks muttered, hating the villain's complete lack of compassion.

He closed his eyes again. He was so tired. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving him completely exhausted.

But why shouldn't he sleep? He only needed a little nap…

“Hey, no, birdie. Wake up,” Dabi ordered, tapping his cheek with his foot.

“Shut up,” Hawks snapped aggressively, having run out of patience. “You can just leave like you wanted to. Leave me here.”

Hawks heard a long, exasperated sigh, but he still didn't open his eyes.

He felt hands grab him, and soon he found himself in Dabi's burned arms.

Hawks opened his eyes again, a faint mocking smile lighting up his face.

“Hmm, I knew you were a gentleman deep down.”

Dabi's intense blue eyes glared at him.

“You're leaving me no choice. And I don't have time to wait for you to finally get your ass moving.”

Hawks closed his eyes.

“Yeah, sure,” he muttered.

Dabi didn't answer. Hawks felt him move. He barely managed to suppress a grimace of pain. Why did it hurt so much?

He sighed tiredly and relaxed in the villain's arms, letting him handle everything.

He wanted to let his mind rest, but the arms carrying him jostled him.

Hawks clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Don't fall asleep on me, birdie.”

Hawks struggled to open his eyes.

“Not my fault your arms are so comfortable…”

He tried to look at Dabi, but he wasn't sure he was looking in the right place because everything was blurry.

“Fuck,” he heard Dabi swear.

“Problem?”

Hawks felt a hand settle on his forehead, a thumb slowly brushing through his hair.

His expression twisted in confusion.

“Don't treat me like a child…”

Dabi stopped dead and pulled his hand away.

“Sorry. You've got a fever.”

Why was he apologizing? Since when did Dabi apologize?!

“Why did you stop walking?” Hawks mumbled, noticing it far too late.

“I was wondering how to resurrect the dead. I killed those guys too gently.”

“Oh… okay.”

Why did he suddenly feel so uncomfortable?

The fog in his mind had cleared a little. He was conscious enough to pull himself out of Dabi's arms. He tried to do so, but the villain held onto him.

“It's fine. I can walk,” Hawks assured him.

He eventually managed to pull himself out of Dabi's arms. His legs trembled violently, and only the wall kept him from collapsing.

“Stop talking nonsense,” Dabi hissed. “You're a walking corpse, and that's saying something coming from me.”

Hawks shot him an annoyed look as his hand desperately pressed against the wall.

“I'm fine.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? A few seconds ago, you were perfectly happy to let me carry you.”

Hawks knew he was being stupid. He couldn't walk on his own. But his heart had started beating faster when Dabi had said he wished he could have made his torturers suffer more. He didn't like that. It was strange.

“We're close to the exit. We shouldn't let anyone see us together,” Hawks tried.

Dabi approached him dangerously with a smile.

“And why not, little bird? Are you ashamed of me?”

Hawks quickly looked away, his heart beating even faster. But that was because of exhaustion, nothing else.

“I can't blow my cover. People need to keep believing I'm a hero.”

Dabi was too close. He was smiling. Hawks gave him a quick glance before finally meeting his intense gaze.

“It's too late for that anyway, little bird,” he whispered. “People already had time to see that I was your Prince Charming.”

Hawks turned red in a second. Had he heard that? Yeah, well, plenty of people must have heard it too since he was being filmed.

“I didn't know you were the one who was going to come!” Hawks defended himself.

Dabi frowned.

“You were expecting someone else?”

“Uh, yeah. The heroes,” Hawks answered matter-of-factly.

Dabi's expression remained dark.

“Who?”

“What?” Hawks asked, suddenly confused by Dabi's aggressive, almost… possessive look?

“Who exactly were you expecting?” he asked more sharply.

Hawks stared at him, not understanding.

“Uh… Endeavor? Best Jeanist? Mirko? I don't know, just some fucking hero or the police.”

Dabi grabbed his jaw. Hawks held his breath and froze under the villain's murderous gaze. Dabi could kill him instantly. Hawks was far too weak to fight back.

“Endeavor, huh? Why did you name him first?”

His tone was dangerous, concealing heavy threats.

Hawks felt weak. He was just too fucking tired to deal with Dabi's hatred of heroes.

“It’s the number one hero. It makes sense that he’d save the number two. Besides, we get along pretty well…”

Dabi tightened his grip.

“You’ve slept with Endeavor?” he hissed, far too calmly.

Hawks couldn’t help but snort, even though he was nervous.

“Wow, man, are you serious? No thanks. I’ve already had enough of flame users fucking me.”

His answer seemed to satisfy Dabi, because he let go of him.

“Then it’s that rabbit? Don’t tell me it’s that guy dressed in denim…”

Hawks stared at him in disbelief.

“Do we really have to have this conversation?! This is not the time!”

Dabi looked him up and down.

“I just wouldn’t want to make your lover jealous.”

“My lover? What lover?!” Hawks protested, far too exhausted. “I don’t have time for a lover with my job. And besides, that’s none of your business.”

Dabi looked at him silently, still with that same intense expression.

Hawks shot him an annoyed look. Who did Dabi think he was? Hawks wasn’t going around seeing just anyone. The only person he’d slept with over the past few months was Dabi. And why would Dabi even care about making his lover jealous?

“You only save yourself for me, birdie? I’m so touched…” Dabi teased.

Okay, Hawks absolutely could not tell him that, apart from Dabi, he’d never actually slept with anyone else. Dabi didn’t need to know that he had been his first.

So he simply rolled his eyes.

“Only because I barely spend time around anyone else…”

Dabi kept smiling. Hawks would gladly wipe that smug look off his face.

“That’s why you’re so desperate whenever we do it…”

Hawks raised an eyebrow with a confident smile.

“Me, desperate? Do I have to remind you about the last time you practically jumped me without even saying hello?”

“I’d rather hear you moan than listen to you chirp,” Dabi retorted with a shrug.

Hawks closed his eyes. The conversation had to stop there. He wasn't in any state to talk to Dabi about their fuck buddy.

But letting Dabi win? No way.

“So that’s why you came to save me? You missed my ass that much?”

Dabi dropped his teasing expression and became serious again.

“I told you my coming here had nothing to do with you personally. I’m just following Shigaraki’s orders.”

“Yeah, but it works out pretty well for you,” Hawks insisted with a smug smile.

Dabi raised an eyebrow.

“You know, I can fuck anyone I want. I’m not like you, stupidly saving yourself for one person. You’re not that special, Hawks.”

His name landed sharply on Dabi’s tongue.

“Don’t go thinking I’m saving myself for you. I just don’t have time to meet anyone else. Maintaining my hero cover takes too much time.”

“Yeah, your hero cover,” Dabi repeated mockingly.

Hawks didn’t understand it. Dabi had never believed him. He was far too perceptive. He knew Hawks was a traitor. So why wasn’t Hawks already being roasted alive? Sure, the League was using him. But still, he never would have thought he’d last this long.

“When are you going to stop suspecting me?” Hawks complained.

“Never. You’ll never have what it takes to be a villain.”

“Thanks for the compliment, I guess. That means I don’t look like a burned patchwork quilt.”

Dabi gave him an annoyed look.

“My God, will you shut up for a minute? Why are you even talking? You’ve just been tortured.”

“Not tortured,” Hawks corrected. “Just beaten up a little.”

Dabi gave him an unconvinced look. He stepped closer.

“Come on, let’s get out of here before you die in this stupid hallway.”

Hawks stepped back and took a few steps.

“I’m fine. I can walk.”

He didn’t want Dabi touching him. He didn’t want to talk to him anymore. He wanted to be alone. He was so tired. He just wanted a fucking break by himself, without any kind of pressure, where he could simply be himself.

Dabi sighed heavily.

“Whatever you say, hero. I’ll leave you alone, then?”

Hawks nodded.

“Yeah… thanks for… for coming,” he murmured without looking at him.

“Thank Shigaraki.”

Hawks gave him a small smile and took a few steps forward.

He was fine. His body didn’t feel quite as painful anymore.

And the weakness in his legs was simply because he hadn’t stood up in a long time.

And the dizziness didn’t mean anything.

He was fine. He’d managed to have a normal conversation with Dabi. He knew how to handle pain and exhaustion. He knew how to keep them at a distance. He’d learned.

So he could absolutely walk a few meters.

Except the hallway wasn’t cooperating. Why did it seem to be stretching out? Hawks felt as though he were moving backward with every step he took.

And the wall his hand was resting against was becoming soft. He could no longer lean against it. Why wasn’t anything cooperating?

The floor disappeared beneath his feet. Fortunately, he managed to catch himself against another rough surface.

“Whoa, hey, easy, birdie!”

Hawks blinked and realized his hands were gripping Dabi’s burned arms.

“I’m fine,” he murmured as he tried to straighten up.

Dabi wouldn’t let him. He scooped him up into his arms again.

“Hey, no, stop. I’ve got you, okay? You don’t have to pretend you’re fine in front of me. I’m not one of your heroes.”

Hawks wanted to answer, but an intense wave of exhaustion stopped him. Why was he suddenly so tired? Why couldn’t he control himself? He wasn’t allowed to collapse until he was alone.

“What did they do to you, little bird?” Dabi murmured near his ear.

“I dunno…” Hawks mumbled.

Yes, he did. He’d spent fourteen days going through it. Of course he knew. But it was so hard to think. He couldn’t concentrate.

“When was the last time you ate?”

“I dunno…”

“Drank?”

“I dunno…”

“Slept?”

“I dunno…”

Hawks barely heard Dabi muttering curses under his breath.

“I’m taking you to the hospital. Your heroes will take care of you.”

“No…” Hawks protested weakly. “Can’t let them see us together…”

“Trust me. Don’t worry about that. You just focus on holding on.”

Hawks hummed softly as his eyes fluttered with exhaustion.

“So tired…”

“I know, birdie. You can rest. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Hawks didn’t need any further convincing and let unconsciousness take over.

Dabi cast a worried glance at the unconscious hero in his arms. No, not worried. Just concerned. Besides, who wouldn’t be?

Hawks was pale. He was trembling slightly. His face was twisted with pain. He had dark circles under his eyes that looked a mile long. His lips were dry and cracked. His wings were gone.

He needed a fucking hospital. Dabi couldn’t take him back to the League. He wasn’t going to risk losing the little bird.

Dabi kept running, passing several charred bodies. He bitterly regretted what he had done. Those bastards had tortured Hawks. They had starved him, beaten him, and deprived him of sleep. Dabi should have been more cruel. He should have started by setting their feet on fire before letting the flames slowly crawl up their bodies until their brains were reduced to mush.

Dabi pushed his murderous thoughts aside and refocused on his mission. Damn, a villain saving a hero. Now he’d seen everything…

Hawks groaned and continued trembling more and more violently in his arms.

Dabi shot him another quick glance. He wasn't worried. He was just concerned about completing his mission. A mission he'd taken upon himself because Shigaraki couldn't care less that Hawks had been kidnapped.

Dabi had waited. It was the heroes' job to handle this. But that bunch of incompetents had done nothing, so Dabi hadn't had a choice.

Hawks was useful to the League. Even if he was a traitor, he still brought them some information. Losing him would be inconvenient.

And besides, Hawks was useful to Dabi. He liked relieving himself deep inside the hero’s bowels. It felt good, and Dabi was too afraid that it wouldn't be as pleasurable if he did it with someone else.

He'd never been particularly interested in sex. His thoughts had always been focused on his father; he hadn't had time for that bullshit.

But he'd wanted to try with Hawks.

Yeah, a hero had been his first. Dabi probably should have been embarrassed about that, but honestly, he was rather glad it had been Hawks. That untouchable hero the public loved so much, completely ruined, sobbing and moaning beneath a villain who was fucking him…

He would never admit that to Hawks, though. He suspected the little bird had already had plenty of people in his bed, so he'd pretended that was true for him too.

Still, he'd been relieved to learn that Endeavor hadn't touched with his bird. He didn't know what he would have done, but it probably wouldn't have been smart.

Hawks was his. He wasn’t allowed to get fucked by someone else. If Dabi could have, he would have simply kept the little bird at home to make sure he didn't see anyone else.

But he preferred Hawks to be consenting. It was much more exciting to know that this sexy, perfect hero wanted to get filled by a charred, ugly villain.

Honestly, Dabi didn't understand why Hawks kept coming back. Sometimes he was rough when he fucked him. Too rough. There were days when he was angry and all he wanted was to ruin his little bird, so he wouldn't fall apart himself. And yet Hawks kept moaning and coming back. Who would be messed up enough to like that? The little bird had to have something wrong with him.

Dabi knew what was hidden underneath. He'd dug into Hawks's past. Hawks was the son of a thief. Of an abusive father who had beaten him. Had pain become something familiar because it was all he'd ever known?

Honestly, Dabi hated himself a little for putting Hawks through that. Sometimes he wanted to be gentle and kind with him. But being vulnerable in front of Hawks? No fucking way. Dabi knew the bird was a traitor. They had no right to get attached to each other. It would hurt them too much.

So all they were was fuck buddy. Nothing more. Not in this world.

Dabi didn't have feelings anyway. His heart was already burned to ash.

Hawks didn't feel anything either. His emotions were just a hero's mask hiding a man who had been emptied out.

The tension between them was nothing more than the tension between enemies.

If Dabi's heart was beating fast right now, it was only because the adrenaline hadn't worn off yet.

Nothing else. Absolutely no concern for the trembling hero in his arms.

Hawks slowly opened his eyes. The light assaulted his eyelids. He groaned and immediately closed them again.

“Go back to sleep, birdie.”

Hawks frowned, trying to open his eyes again.

“D’bi…?” he mumbled, recognizing his voice.

“Shit,” the villain cursed. “I’m going to have to leave you here, hero.”

Hawks's eyes flew open. They were right in front of the exit.

“What? No! Don’t leave me!”

His hand firmly grabbed the villain's sleeve.

“I don't have a choice. The police and the heroes are here. They'll arrest me if they see me.”

“Don’t leave me!” Hawks cried, tightening his grip.

He didn't know why he was panicking so badly. He didn't understand why he was so terrified at the thought of being left alone. But his heart was beating too fast, and his breathing was speeding up.

“Hey, it's okay. Those are your friends. You should be happy to see them again.”

Hawks shook his head, feeling his body tremble.

“Don’t leave me. Please, don’t leave me.”

Hawks gave him a tearful, pleading look that only seemed to fuel Dabi's irritation.

“You're a pain in the ass. I already saved you. Don't ask for more. I'm not going to prison just because you want me to hold your hand.”

Dabi lowered Hawks to the ground. Hawks desperately clung to his sleeve.

“No, no, no… please… please, Dabi… I'm begging you…”

They were going to take him back. He wasn't safe here alone without Dabi. He needed the villain's reassuring flames.

Dabi tried to move away, but Hawks stayed attached to him, forcing the villain to drag him along the floor.

“Fuck, let go of me!” Dabi shouted.

Hawks sobbed and simply whimpered in response. He knew he'd be ashamed later for acting like a child in front of one of his enemies, but he couldn't think clearly. All he knew was that he couldn't stay alone.

Fortunately for him, Dabi quickly gave up.

“Damn hero, can't even stay alone for a few seconds,” he grumbled, picking him back up.

Hawks turned his head and buried his face against Dabi's chest as his breathing slowly calmed.

“You're really pathetic. A little torture and you're such a wreck. I never would have thought the number two hero would be such a coward,” Dabi continued to insult him.

Hawks didn't answer. He breathed in the smell of smoke and burnt fabric clinging to Dabi. It calmed him. It silenced the alarms that had been going off in his mind.

There were a few seconds of silence before more shouting could be heard.

“Let him go, Dabi! Surrender!”

Hawks turned his head and opened his eyes. He had to wait a few seconds for his vision to clear enough for him to recognize the police and several heroes. Endeavor, Best Jeanist, Eraserhead, Present Mic… Hawks had been waiting for one of them to show up for days, and they were finally here.

“Put him down and put your hands in the air!” one of the police officers shouted.

The police had all their weapons pointed at them. Hawks looked at them without really reacting, completely exhausted.

He felt Dabi's arms tighten around him.

“Obey, Dabi!” Endeavor ordered. “Let Hawks go!”

Hawks held back a groan of pain as Dabi squeezed him even tighter, pressing against his injuries.

“Endeavor, still as hypocritical as ever,” Dabi hissed. “You should be thanking me. Without me, you never would have found your hero.”

“We do thank you for that, Dabi,” Eraserhead said cautiously, his quirk activated. “But you can hand Hawks over to us now. We'll take care of him.”

Dabi took a step back, making the police tense even more.

“Don't move!”

Hawks glanced at Dabi. His turquoise eyes were fixed intensely on someone, filled with a mixture of hatred and suspicion.

He turned his head. Dabi seemed to be looking at… Endeavor? Whatever. Hawks was too tired to think. His head was spinning. He was too hot, but it wasn't because of Dabi's quirk.

“Put him down!” the officer shouted again. “Don't make us shoot, Dabi!”

“Okay, okay,” the villain gave in, lowering himself.

Hawks instinctively grabbed his sleeve so the villain wouldn't let go of him.

“No… please…” he whispered.

“Shut up, birdie,” Dabi whispered back. “I'm already in enough trouble because of you. Don't make it worse.”

But Hawks ignored him. He stayed clinging to Dabi and begged louder, until everyone could hear him.

“No, no, no… stop!”

Dabi froze for a moment, then started trying to make Hawks let go again. But whenever he managed to pry one of his hands loose, the other immediately grabbed on again.

“Stop, Hawks. They're going to shoot me.”

Hawks looked around in terror.

“No! No! Don't do it! I'll be good! Please…”

His breathing quickly became ragged. The heroes and police stood in silence, watching the number two hero slip into a panic attack while one of the country's most dangerous villains tried to calm him down.

“Stop, Hawks. Calm down. It's okay. You're not there anymore.”

Hawks shook his head violently, sweating, and buried his face against Dabi's chest again.

“Don't leave me! Please… I know I'm bad, but don't leave me… I'm begging you…”

Dabi sighed and stopped struggling, pulling him into an embrace. One of his hands gently stroked Hawks's hair.

“It's okay. You're safe. Breathe. You're going to the hospital. They're going to take care of you.”

“No! No! Please! Don't let them take me! I don't want to be restrained again!”

Dabi heard worried murmurs around him but ignored them, focusing only on his bird.

“No one is going to restrain you,” he whispered. “The villains who did this to you are dead. I killed them. No one is going to hurt you again.”

Hawks sobbed violently, but his breathing gradually became steadier.

“Come on, birdie. You need to see a doctor. You're falling apart because you're too exhausted.”

“Don't leave me,” Hawks pleaded desperately.

He couldn't understand what was happening anymore. But all he knew was that as long as Dabi was there, he felt certain that no one would hurt him.

Hawks felt Dabi lift them both up. He wrapped his arms around Dabi's waist, unwilling to let go.

“Take care of him,” the villain murmured. “I don't know how long he's been deprived of sleep and food.”

Hawks felt Dabi try to separate them again. He choked back a sob and struggled, but this time Dabi managed to get him back on his feet.

Without the comforting warmth, Hawks almost panicked again, but Dabi placed his hands on his cheeks.

“Look at me, baby bird,” he ordered, waiting for those golden eyes to meet his. “It's going to be okay, all right? You're going to make it through this. You don't need to panic. No one is going to hurt you.”

Hawks grimaced and weakly pleaded one last time.

“I don't want to be alone…”

“It's going to be okay, baby bird. I promise.”

Dabi suddenly moved his face closer and, surprising everyone, kissed Hawks.

The young hero froze, completely stunned.

Dabi kissed him in front of all those heroes, with such gentleness that it seemed as though he were an entirely different person.

It was nothing like what had happened between them before. The rough sex, the dirty talk… this soft, emotional kiss was the complete opposite.

Hawks was so surprised that his panic immediately faded.

Dabi's hand held his cheek with surprising tenderness. His lips lingered against Hawks's for a moment.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but Hawks felt as though it had lasted for years.

And yet, he didn't even have time to think about responding before Dabi pulled away.

They stared at each other for a second, both shocked by what had just happened.

Then Dabi stepped back and fled in a burst of flames. The police shouted and fired, but the villain blinded them with his flames.

Hawks watched the scene without moving. He saw Endeavor and the other heroes take off after Dabi.

Everyone was in a frenzy. He was the only one completely frozen.

A hand settled on his shoulder.

“Are you all right?” Eraserhead asked, so shocked by what he'd just witnessed that he had actually blinked and given Dabi an opening.

Hawks looked at him. His heart was still beating fast, but for a different reason now.

It took him a few seconds to find his voice again.

“I… I think so.”

“I understand better now why Dabi was the one who found you first,” the UA teacher added.

“I… I wasn't expecting that,” Hawks whispered.

Eraserhead moved closer and whispered to him.

“Listen, even if there is something between you two, you'd better say Dabi caught you by surprise and that you didn't want it. It'll keep you out of trouble.”

Hawks simply nodded. He couldn't do anything else. He was still too shaken.

Then he saw Endeavor and the other heroes return, without Dabi.

“What the hell was that, Hawks?!” the number one hero roared. “He's a villain! You betrayed us!”

“Calm down, Endeavor,” Eraserhead intervened, stepping in front of Hawks. “Leave him alone for now. The only thing he needs is a hospital.”

“A therapist, more like. He's involved with a villain!” Endeavor protested.

“We don't know anything,” Eraserhead reminded him.

“Dabi kissed him.”

“That doesn't necessarily mean anything.”

Endeavor looked at Hawks with cold anger.

“Are you in love with that villain, Hawks?” he asked, with barely concealed menace.

“No…” the young hero answered, frowning.

He brought a hand to his lips. He could still feel the pressure of Dabi's lips and the faint taste of smoke.

He was too tired for this. Too confused to understand what was happening in his own head.

But he was sure of one thing.

He would never forget that feeling.